Car-coupling



(No Model.)

G. P. WILLSON.

GAR GOUPLING.

No.25'7,119. l Patented Apr. 25,1882.

WITNBSSES 0M. ,COM kim ATTORNEYS.

N. PEYERS, Phowlitmgnplmr, wnmngum D. C.

lUNITED STATES v PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES PERRY WILLSON, OF SUMMIT POINT, IVEST VIRGINIA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 257,119, dated April 25, 1882.

' Application ilcdMareh 8,1882. (No model.)

To 'all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES PERRY WILL- SON, of Summit Point, in the county of Jefferson and State of West Virginia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Car-Couplings, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the annexed drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure lis a plan view of the coupling, showing the internal construction thereof. Fig. 2 is a -front elevation, partly in section. Fig. 3 is a sectional side elevation, and Fig. 4. is a link.

This invention relates to au improvement in car-couplings in which the link is coupled with a draw-head by means of a horizontal pin, which is adapted to be operated from either side of the car. An ordinary straight link may be used in coupling two cars together, if desired, or in case the coupling-bar should be broken. I design, however, to use a spear-headed coupling-bar, which engages vertically with a corresponding bar; and as a means of lifting the bar for this purpose I provide a lever at each side of the draw-head, which is adapted to press the outer end ofthe coupling-bar up ward.

In order that others skilled in the art to which my invention pertains may readily nnderstand the construction and operation of the same, I will now proceed to a detailed description of the several parts thereof.

The draw-head A is provided with a crosshcad, B, forming two partially-closed chambers extending from opposite sides ofthe drawhead, and communicating with the interior of the draw head by means of apertures a a, through which a pin, b, is made to engage with the link end of the coupling-bar c. The pin b is provided with a conical head, b', at each end, and a neck, b2, forming a shoulder, by means of which a catch, d, arranged in each chamber of the cross-head, shall be adapted to withdraw the pin from engagement with the link or coup-v ling-bar on either side of the draw-head.

The catch d consists of a head, d', having a recess, d2, in its under surfaceeto receive the conical head of the pin, and a pivoted jaw, cl3, having a smaller recess in its under surface, adapted to engage with the neck of the pin and prevent the head thereof from escaping from the recess d when the catch is drawn back by means of its rod (Z4. The rod d* projects through an opening in the ,end of crosshead B, and has a spring, e, coiled about it on the inside of the chamber, which tends to hold the catch with sufficient force against the draw-head to cause the j aw d3, which is beveled at the end, to be partially raised through an opening, e', in the top of its inclosing-chamber. The top of the chamber is so constructed that at the instant the catch is drawn back it will press the jaw downward to engage with the pin, and the chamber is provided with stops fto'limit the withdrawal ofthe catch and prevent the spring from being too greatly compressed.

Underneath the cross-head B, on each side the draw-head, is fulerumed a lever, g, the inner end of which is pivoted in a slot, i, formed in the lower end of a bargj, which is arranged vertically in an opening, lo, in the draw-head. The said bar is located slightly forward ofthe coupling-pin b, so that when the bar is pressed upward by either of the levers g it will lift the coupling-bar c to cause it to engage with a corresponding` bar in coupling two cars together.

The coupling-baro has something ofthe form ofan arrow-head, with the upper shoulder made convexfrom side to side andtheundershoulder correspondingly concave, so that the upper shoulder of one head shall engage with the under shoulder of another. An additional concave shoulder is formed on the under side of the bar facing the first-mentioned concave shoulder, which serves as a guide for the corresponding head in coupling. As this coupling-bar has already been patented to me, it is not claimed in the present application.

By arranging an ordinary straight link, l,in a vertical position it may be substituted for the coupling-bar c in case the latter should be broken, and with aview to such au emergency I design that such a link shall be carried in some convenient recess where it may be readily available when needed. For lifting the bar c from the top of a car, a cord or chain may be Vattached thereto and secured where it can be reached.

IOO

The link Z, by means of perforations in its Havn g thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In acar-coupling, a horizontalpin adapted to engage with a vertical link, in combination with catches for engaging with and operating the pin from either side of the car, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a car-coupling, a coupling-pin having a conical head and a neck at each end, in combination with automatic catches adapted to be operated from either side ofthe car, and means for supporting said pin and catches, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a car-coupling, the combination, with the double-headed coupling-pin, of the springactuated catches having recesses for receiving the heads ofthe pin and pivoted jaws for retaining said heads, and a cross-head for supporting the catches, substantially as shown and described.

4. In a-car-coupling, the combination, with a draw-head, of a cross-head having chambers on each side the draw-head, and spring-actuated sliding catches having beveled retainingjaws, the chambers being formed with openings at the top, near the draw-head, to allow oscillation of the jaws, substantially as shown and described.

5. In a car-coupling, the combination, with the arrow-headed coupling-bar, of the vertical bar and levers for operating said bar to lift the outer end ot' the coupling-bar, substantially as shown and described, and for the purpose set forth. .i Y

CHAR LES PERRY WILLSON.

Witnesses:

SoLoN C. KEMON, GRAS. A. PETTIT. 

